Scary scenario

Your walking on a cool summer's eve and out of nowhere comes a dog. Now your dog is on a leash and this dog is free, and you can tell she wants to play but your dog has nowhere to run. I tried going backwards but the dog still was bouncing around. Kai kept trying to get around the dog but the other dog just stayed in front of her. I felt like a maypole. A young man was driving by and looked once, twice and then turned around and came back. By this time the owner was there and trying to get his dog to come and Kai was starting to want to snap at the dog. I moved toward the street but the dog followed. The owner got his dogs attention just enough so I could scoop down and pick up Kai. Then he was able to grab the dog. HE kept apologizing and I knew the dog wanted to play but Kai was terrified. After the guy got his dog, I quickly crossed the street and waited to put Kai down until I was sure we were out of range. The young man left and we continued a briefer version of our walk. By the time we got home Kai was so worn out from trying to evade the dog she went to bed at least two hours earlier than her normal bedtime. Every once and awhile she would let out a whimper. I took her to the dog park today, but she did not want to be around other dogs, this scenario put us a step backwards in her socialization. Any thoughts on what I could have done different?

Dog question

Why is that dogs like some dogs over others. What is the reason for them sniffing for a few minutes and then when you think they are cool with each other the snarling starts? This happened on our walk this morning, Kai saw a dog they both looked they wanted to play then all of a sudden Kai snaps at the dogs nose. Kai has been to the dog park, boarding with other dogs and when the dogs get too nosy with her butt she raises her hackles but I have never seen her snap. Luckily, I am quick with the leash, but I am not sure what happened to cause the decision to snap.

Table Surfing

Miss Kai has a new thing, table surfing. My dog Lady used to do this, jump from a kitchen chair to the table, but I thought that was because I had obtained her from a woman with Alzheimer's who did not feed her at regular times. Kai, however surf's not because she is hungry, but because she is mad at us. My son would not let her go downstairs with him, so she was on the table to grab his hat. I think this may be how she ends up with my headbands. This time I caught her in the act, well almost. I turned around after talking on the phone to find her squarely in the center of the table. I guess I will have to do to her what I did to Lady and that is move all chairs away from the table so that she cannot play mountain goat. Of course, I will also have to make sure the chairs are not near anything else she can climb or destroy. The lovely thing about dogs is to expect the unexpected, it has to make you laugh and get a healthy supply of headbands.

We are still alive

It seems that I have fallen off in my writing about the Kai but I do not want to bore you with the same stories. Plus I have been in the wonderful city of Chicago and therefore had to put my dog, once again, into a boarding facility. Luckily, this boarding facility is like a dog spa. She gets to run and play with other dogs which is teaching her socialization. When she comes back from her retreat she is nice and shampooed and smelling good. I was not going to send her to boarding but my son who was going to watch her while we were in Chicago had to have knee surgery so he could not babysit. The cutest thing happened when my son came back from his surgery, Kai did not like him having a Band-Aid on where he had had the IV, so she kept trying to tear it off his arm. I had just finished a book called "THE LONE WOLF" by Judi Piccoult about a man who raised wolves and communed with wolves by going into their enclosure. He said that he could not go into the enclosure when he was hurt because the wolves would try to get the bandage off so that they could lick it and make the wound better. I wonder if Kai would have done that or she just does not like things she doesn't think belong there. She always gets startled by little things a new plant, a stake in the ground, etc. Anyway instead of getting upset after being told no, she just curled up on my son and went to sleep. I think she sensed that he was hurt and did not want to hurt him further. I was afraid that she was going to jump on his knee or try to pull the bandage off his knee, but she was real gentle with him. I really love this dog and did not think I would let myself do it again after Lady, but I am glad we got her, even if I have to clean up a few messes.

Dog Parks and Dog boarding

Have taken Kai at least four times to the Highland dog park. Each time she has a different adventure. We went on Monday at 9 because it was just too pretty not to go. We met some of the dogs we met on Thursday, but more dogs were introduced throughout our stay. The weirdest thing is that this time Kai barked at all the dogs that were in the park while I was trying to get her inside. She then slunk away once we were in the gates. We went up the hill where there were two dogs, Belle and Beau, who she had previously met. Belle and Kai have similar personalities in that they are skittish. So while Beau went to greet all the dogs who entered the park, Kai and Belle were content to just sit and watch the action. Though Kai acts as though she wants to play she does not like the smell me aspect of the play procedure. She does like the other dogs to chase her when she gives the okay. I do not know how she will handle the emergency boarding we have to do with her. My son was supposed to watch her, but he is having surgery so she has to be boarded. I am told that she does well with boarding, but that was before she became vocal. Though she does love to play with dogs her own size, she is not above letting bigger dogs chase her. The one thing that freaks her out are smaller dogs though she does get along with a little Chihuahua at the dog park. For the most part she is not enamored with small dogs. I guess we will see how it all turns out. I love taking her out and about, plus she is getting use to my car I think. I just realized the other day that I have had her for about 5 months. We got her in March and she was 5 months old, she is now 10 months and I have been saying 8. Even if she was between 5-6 months, though the vet says 4-5, that makes her 9-11 months old, So in two months she will be a year old.